Chapter 65: The Art of Reading Minds

At this critical juncture, one must never let success go to one's head. The intelligent are often solitary; people shy away from befriending those who are too clever, for it only serves to highlight their own shortcomings. So one must tread carefully.

Suppressing his smile, Xiao Cheng donned a look of forlorn melancholy and said slowly, "You don't think I'm a monster, do you?"

The clever can be frightening—almost monstrous, in fact.

His words drew a wave of sympathy from the girl. She shook her head, "Of course not. It's just that you're so extraordinary, I feel a bit..." She wanted to say “afraid,” but thought better of it, swallowing the word and replacing it with, "not quite used to it."

"This secret is known only to you. I have no one else to confide in; I feel so lonely..." Xiao Cheng quietly took her hand again, murmuring, "But you don’t have to be afraid. As I’ve said, I’m still the same Wen Xiao Cheng as before. I’ll never change."

People change every day; only the original intentions remain.

Leaving the campus of Xiangyang University, Xiao Cheng hailed a cab. Yang Liushan, still somewhat dazed, followed him as if she were being led away, and it wasn’t until she came to her senses that she realized he was holding her hand. They sat together in the back seat, the car heading to who knows where.

"Having KFC sounds nice. I’ve never tried it before. You really think of everything!"

Recalling their earlier conversation, Yang Liushan realized they’d agreed to stroll around the city, then take a car back to Dongfeng Town in the afternoon. Their entire itinerary had even been settled: first KFC for lunch, then a movie— and to her surprise, she had nodded in agreement to every part of it!

A meal together, then a movie—wasn’t this the standard progression of a date? Did this mean she was already in love?

She glanced at the boy beside her. Sunlight streamed through the window, gilding Xiao Cheng’s hair with a golden glow and casting a warm, dreamy light across his face. Sensing her gaze, Xiao Cheng turned his head. Startled, the girl quickly looked away, but not before he caught a trace of her flustered confusion.

Xiao Cheng smiled, his face radiant in the sunshine. The hand that held hers gently tickled her palm. She couldn't help but glance at him, and as their eyes met, both smiled, quietly acknowledging the new connection between them.

Hand in hand, the destination no longer mattered.

He’s so smart—could he possibly know what I’m thinking right now?

Xiao Cheng gave the faintest nod—whether he’d truly guessed or it was mere coincidence, the girl felt a jolt as though struck by lightning, her cheeks flushing red again.

The taxi slowed to a halt outside KFC. Xiao Cheng paid the fare, got out first, then bent down at the door and offered his right hand, leading Yang Liushan inside. His eyes took in everything—the menu behind the counter, the prices, every detail.

He found a corner seat for them. "What would you like? I’ll go order."

The girl smiled. "You’re so clever. Can you guess what I like to eat?"

"Let me think. You probably like chicken, right? But what kind? Spicy? Fruity? Swirled…"

Xiao Cheng watched her reactions. Mentioning chicken, he caught a flash of surprise in her eyes. At the word “spicy,” a mischievous smile played at her lips—there, then gone. Fortune-telling and reading faces are, after all, about interpreting micro-expressions. The trick is to toss out possibilities and reel them back if you sense you’re off track.

"Spicy food makes you overheated—so you probably don’t like that. Seafood..." At the mention of seafood, she gave a clear, affirmative response. Among all the entrées, eliminating those with spice and those without chicken left only eleven options. He could have probed with more questions, but her surprised reaction at “seafood” made the choice simple: there was only one item with both chicken and seafood—the Half-Chicken Half-Shrimp Burger.

"I’ve got it. Wait here and see if I’m right!"

A short while later, Xiao Cheng returned with a tray: a cup of corn drink, a cola, a Half-Chicken Half-Shrimp Burger, a New Orleans Chicken Drumstick Burger, popcorn chicken, grilled wings, and chicken nuggets. As he set the tray down, the answer was already written on the girl’s face—he’d guessed correctly.

"I always order the Half-Chicken Half-Shrimp Burger. How did you know?"

"I got it right?" Xiao Cheng sat down, smiling.

"Yes!" She nodded eagerly. "I’ve tried everything on the menu, but in the end, I always come back to this one. I can’t believe you guessed it! How did you do it?"

Xiao Cheng ran a quick deduction in his mind. If he claimed they were soulmates, it would sound glib; so he decided to lay out his reasoning:

"I read your expressions. When I mentioned chicken, your reaction was unmistakably positive. When I said spicy, your face told me no. Of twenty-five main dishes, that eliminated all spicy and non-chicken options—leaving eleven. I could have asked more, but when I brought up seafood, your surprise gave it away. Only one item has both chicken and seafood—the Half-Chicken Half-Shrimp Burger. Just to be sure, I ordered a few non-spicy chicken items as well, so the odds were even better."

"You can tell just from my expression?"

"Of course." Xiao Cheng opened the food containers as he explained. "When I guess correctly, you show a hint of surprise, or you take a quick breath that disrupts your rhythm, eyes widening for a brief instant. If I’m wrong, you give a little triumphant smile; even if you hold it back, I can spot the purse of your lips. So it’s not so hard—I just keep offering options, and your reactions guide me to the right answer."

He didn’t elaborate further, but in truth, even the slightest smile involves several facial muscles. By observing just three or four muscle movements, Xiao Cheng could discern her thoughts.

Yang Liushan blushed, lips pressed tight in silence.

"Right now you’re thinking—oh no, does this mean he knows everything I’m thinking?"

Again, she showed a fleeting look of surprise. Xiao Cheng had guessed right once more.

Xiao Cheng again reached for her hand and said softly, "Actually, you know what I’m thinking, too, don’t you?"

Perhaps she couldn’t read micro-expressions, but anyone would know what it meant to hold hands like this.

"That’s not fair!" she protested, cheeks burning. "You can guess everything I’m thinking, but I don’t know what’s on your mind! You should tell me your thoughts too. Then… then it would be fair. Yes, that’s right, fair."

Xiao Cheng frowned, as if troubled. "It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s that I can’t."

"Why not?"

"Because there’s too much in my head, and no matter how fast I talk, I can’t keep up with it all!"

"Well... just say as much as you can!"

"Alright, I’ll try!" Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, then spoke rapidly, barely pausing for breath or punctuation:

"When I see you looking shy it reminds me of when we closed our eyes together by the lake just now—I knew what you were thinking because I was thinking the same thing. We’ve grown up, both gotten into college, both university students now, and in that moment we were a couple, holding hands, hearts in sync. I have a dream—to see my grandma healthy, for my dad to be acquitted and released from prison, for my mom to change her mind and come home. Then I’d bring you to meet them and say, this is my girlfriend. The whole family, sitting around a hotpot, happy together. Every time you smile at me, I feel one step closer to my dream. When I hold your hand, I feel at peace. I wish we could grow up overnight, so we could love freely, but at the same time, I wish time would stop right here, forever! This feeling is such a contradiction, I don’t know what to choose—but so long as you’re by my side, it doesn’t matter what I choose..."

——————

If you’re not experienced, you probably have no idea what “fruity” or “swirled” flavors refer to. As an old hand, I just couldn’t resist throwing in a little mischief while writing.

Some readers have said in the comments that these “dating secrets” are hard to learn—in truth, it’s all about conversation skills: when talking with a girl, anticipate what she’ll say next. Your words can be a comma, a question mark, but never a period! Brothers, learn to reflect—what’s the biggest obstacle between Xiao Cheng and Yang Liushan? Age! Fourteen or fifteen is too young for romance, so the opportunity on a university campus is used to immerse the girl in the college student role, helping her forget her worries and draw closer. Honestly, am I writing a novel or a dating manual here? Maybe both! In the future, you should take notes after each chapter of my books— it’ll help you find love! For example, this chapter’s confessions and mind-reading tricks; if you’re interested, leave a comment and I’ll highlight it.

After all, this is a book that boosts your intelligence. Once you’ve finished it, you’ll never again be that clueless boy who doesn’t know how to talk to girls.